Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 272 Jinhua, Ning Caichen
So much joy and celebration unfolds before my eyes, a grand banquet is held on the Xunyang River at night. Several red candles weep with fragrant tears, two beautiful women unfold the auspicious lotus blossoms.

When the lights are turned on, this quiet little classroom instantly transforms.

As expected of a top-tier club of this era, it truly has everything. Xu Xuan also witnessed a bit of the elegance and refinement of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

The women were alright, but the men were all incredibly unrestrained, as if they were afraid of appearing too unconventional if they were not upper-class enough.

Fortunately, everyone in this attic was quite composed.

Even with glamorous dancers performing or maids serving him, he did not lose his composure.

Professor Shi may have looked down on this group of fools, or he may have been in a bad mood, as he was unusually reserved today.

Mr. Xu is not close to women, even in Qiantang.
Even if we don't mention Qiantang, in Xunyang, others must know about it.

After all, this place is only a hundred miles away from the Donglin Ancestral Temple, which is practically a step away for cultivators, so they would never dare to be dissolute.

Of all the precepts, the precept against lust is the one that has been upheld the best; it is the bottom line.

Otherwise, if any of the senior disciples in the sect saw it, it would cause trouble for Senior Brother Ruoxu.

During tonight's banquet, he only displayed his talent and learning, and his noble character was as pure as a gentle breeze and a bright moon, which made people admire the strict discipline of the Chongqi family.

"Is Instructor Xu married?"

Good question. If the one in West Lake is solely focused on cultivating immortality, he won't have it; but if he seeks immortality in the mortal world, he will.

so.
"If so."

Everyone immediately smiled knowingly; this young man was truly humorous.

Since the main guests didn't go all out, the accompanying guests naturally wouldn't act recklessly either; the most luxurious pavilion was actually the most austere.

Instructor Xu drank his wine while scanning the entire room.

Looking down, the curtains in Ji Rui's and the other two's attic were not drawn. Although there were women serving dishes and pouring wine, the three scoundrels were eating heartily.

Sometimes it would let out a chuckle, as if it were something very interesting.

Tsk tsk tsk, this malice is really undisguised.

Didn't you guys know I was here?
Although it was good to uphold one's principles, Xu Xuan still felt that his dignity as a teacher had been mocked.

I'll make a mental note of these three guys.

Especially Ji Rui, with Xiaolongren's situation so complicated, it's hard to believe he's going to come to a place like this again.

On the other hand, Xie Yu's pavilion was perfectly normal. There were no obscene paid services; it was simply a place for composing poems and writing about the scenery of Xunyang River.

It's clear that the truly talented individuals performed very well; for example, Qiao Danian was noticeably more relaxed.

The atmosphere in Qingyin Classroom is exceptionally peaceful at the moment.

The more this happened, the more vigilant we became. Before the five dragons of Jianye appeared together, everything was very calm.

Before the unexpected happened, the sound of a pipa was heard.

The courtesans below actually figured out the trick: they modified old tunes to adjust the timbre and composed new pieces on the spot.

This move drew countless cheers.

No wonder she makes a living in this industry; relying on her looks to please people is ultimately a low-class approach, while the image of a talented woman can have a wider market.

While ancient people were limited by technological limitations in their marketing methods, they were remarkably advanced in their concepts.

Men, in particular, are quite adept at presenting themselves; just think of why Jiang Ziya's fishing story has become famous throughout the ages.

This is the ultimate marketing tactic, elevating both oneself and King Wen.

From then on, all the brilliant strategists learned this trick; only those whose names and actions differed from ordinary people were truly talented.

Right before everyone's eyes, those fragmented notes came together to form a piece of music, fresh and smooth, with a brisk rhythm, lively and melodious, which was extremely pleasant to listen to even to laymen.

Some people started to agree, and some started to dance along.

Xu Xuan, sitting atop the rooftop, couldn't help but blurt out, "Is it really that bland?"

It shouldn't be like this; it really is just an ordinary piece of music. There's no mysterious power that causes people to mutate upon hearing it, nor does it bring about celestial disasters, and it's certainly not some cloud-piercing arrow that can summon thousands of demons from the river.

Not a single person died?!
Unexpectedly, Professor Shi nodded in approval.

"It was indeed bland; I didn't expect you to notice it too."

"It wasn't composed live at all. From the music theory to the fingering, you could tell it was rehearsed beforehand. It was so boring."

"I told you long ago that you have a masterpiece in your heart, and if you were to perform it, it would be earth-shattering."

"Practice the piano with me if you have time."

Successfully engaged in cross-channel chat.

The old man genuinely wanted to teach Xu Xuan to play the zither; Ning Caichen was the second choice.

Those around him were amazed, thinking that this young man, who had received praise from so many big names, could actually have an in-depth discussion with Professor Shi Kuang on music theory.

Whether there's a live rehearsal or not is irrelevant; the troupe leader has put in so much effort and needs to make a living.

Isn't the story of the pipa playing at the head of the Xunyang River good? It's very good.

After that, each pavilion received several pipa for trial playing.

Although this thing is a bit troublesome to make, it's nothing to those who can sit here.

It's just another marketing ploy by the troupe leader.

Since the gifts were presented directly, and everyone present was a high-ranking official or dignitary, they couldn't accept them for nothing, so naturally, they would give back gifts of even greater value.

A more common approach would be for Young Master Ji Rui to present Yu Yu with a handful of silver notes.

My poetic inspiration was quite good today, but unfortunately, that fellow Qian Zhongyu was also there. It affected my performance, so I'll have to hold back for now.

Those scions of noble families shamelessly exchanged their own poems for these gifts, which seemed elegant but were actually quite vulgar.

When it came to Xu Xuan's level, he was directly accepted without saying a word, and the troupe leader still had to serve him carefully.

Professor Shi picked it up and played with it for a while. Just as he found it interesting, the sound of a pipa came from Ji Rui's attic.

He had already reached the level of those courtesans from the very beginning, and was even surpassing them.

Tighten the tuning pegs and pluck the strings to try playing a few notes; even before a melody is formed, the sound is already very expressive.

At times, it is delicate, with a lingering, melodious quality. At other times, it is majestic, with a full, powerful stroke.

The mournful and sorrowful voice of the stringed instrument seemed to be telling a story of his lifelong frustrations.

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Who is playing the pipa?"

Xu Xuan immediately replied loudly.

"Jinhua, Ning Caichen."

Ning Caichen naturally held his musical instrument, casually plucking the strings and displaying his talent.

Of course, in the end, the playing eventually turned into heart-wrenching pain. The melancholy of the piano conveyed his unheard emotions of waiting, which pierced the heart.

Someone really wants to sing "Dong Feng Po".

The mournful music silenced the entire Qingyin Classroom, leaving everyone with bitter expressions.

Those with strong emotions have already started to cry, especially the girls in the younger class—who doesn't have some sad past?

The sound of sobbing almost brought the troupe leader to tears as well; they had prepared for this evening with great care.

Xu Xuan knew that Ning had gone mad again; that's just how individualistic people are when it comes to art.

The timing wasn't right; I couldn't just rush over and slap the student in the face in front of everyone.

This path to fame is too cruel; one can only rely on powerful figures around them for help.

(End of this chapter)